Aberdeen researchers are devising ways of making transport more environmentally friendly in rural areas, including the Highlands.
A team from Robert Gordon University (RGU) will lead an international project aimed at bringing more zero-emission vehicles to remote parts of Europe.
As part of an upcoming trial, an eco-friendly bus will be used to transport rural residents in the Highlands.
Professor of transport policy at RGU, David Gray, is one of the researchers spearheading the scheme.
He said: “Rural public transport is high carbon, subsidy intensive and struggles to provide a viable alternative to the car.
“Innovations are sorely needed in green rural transport to help governments meet ambitious carbon reduction targets.”
The Aberdeen group will work alongside 12 other organisations from across Europe on the £1.7million programme.
The G-PaTRA (Green Passenger Transport in Rural Areas) project will run until 2021.
The group was formed during a meeting in Aberdeen, with partners hailing from the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Belgium.
The funding was awarded by the European Union Interreg North Sea Region programme to support its “green mobility” priority.
Project leaders want to reduce the carbon dioxide fumes produced by personal vehicles in remote areas by embedding more zero-emission vehicles in those regions.
G-PaTRA partners will stage project workshops in Aviemore later this month, as they work to develop more strategies.